New Delhi: The impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon, linked with a weaker monsoon in India, is likely to be “relatively severe” in 12 states, including Telangana, in the Kharif season, according to the agriculture ministry, which on Tuesday directed coordinated action through district-level machinery in the most vulnerable regions.
Other states likely to be impacted by El Nino include Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
“In 9-10 states where the impact of El Nino may be relatively higher, coordinated meetings should be organised with district magistrates, agriculture departments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and other extension systems of the identified districts,” Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who chaired the weekly review meeting on Kharif 2026 preparations, said.
The minister also stressed the need for advance contingency planning in rain-deficient districts, while also pushing for increased acreage under cotton and pulses, an official statement said.
After the meeting, a senior ministry official told the news agency PTI that 12 states have been identified that may be severely impacted due to El Nino and contingency plans for 326 districts in these states are being prepared.
El Nino is a climate phenomenon historically linked to weaker monsoons and heightened rainfall uncertainties – a concern that looms large this year. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the southwest monsoon at around 90 per cent of the long-period average, signalling a below-normal season.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
